Steady rest



STEADY REST Filed Sept. 10', 1927 Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN B. SMITH AND RICHARD A. ASHTON, OF SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO SENECA FALLS MACHINE 00., OF SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 01 MASSACHUSETTS STEADY REST This invention relates to a steady rest adapted for use in lathes and other similar machine tools. Automatic lathes are now in common use in which a variety of turning operations may be performed without personal attention by the operator after the work is placed in the machine and the machine is started. In many cases, however, it is necessary to true up a ring or spot on the work before a steady rest can be brought into operation, which requires the personal attention of the operator until after this truing operation is completed and the steady rest adjusted.

It is the general object of our invention to provide automatic means for advancing a steady rest to operative position in an engine lathe and also preferably for retracting the same from operative position after the work is completed. A further object of our invention is to provide means for thus advancing the steady rest at a predetermined or selected time in the operation of the lathe, so that a truingup of the shaft or other preliminary operation maybe performed before the steady rest is advanced to operative position.

Further features of our invention relate to the provision of cam means for positively advancing the steady rest to operative position, and to the provision of auxiliary means for positively withdrawing the steady rest from operative position.

Our invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation of certain parts of a lathe having our improved steady rest mounted thereon; and

Fig. 2 is a detail rear elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1.

Referri'n to the drawings, we have shown portions 0 a lathe bed 10 having inclined guide-ways 11 on which a steady rest base or carriage 12 is movable axially of the lathe. The base or carriage 12 may be secured in adjusted position by clamping screws 12 or may be secured in any other convenient m'anner.

The base 12 is provided with guide-ways 13 (Fig. 2) for a steady rest slide 14, mounted for movement transversely of the lathe to move the steady rest toward and away from operative position. The slide 14 has a recess or opening 15 in which is mounted a roll support 16. The support 16 is keyed or otherwise held from rotation in the opening 15, but is freely slidable therein.

At its rear end, the support 16 is forked to receive a roll 18, rotatable on a cross stud 19 and engaging a cam 20 mounted on a cam shaft 21. The cam shaft 21 is also provided with a gear 22 engaging a pinion 23 keyed to a drive shaft 24.

The cam shaft 21 is mounted in bearings in a rearwardly projecting portion 25 of the base 12 and the pinion 23 is slidable with the base 12 along the drive shaft 24.

. The roll support 16 is internally threaded, as indicated at 30, and is engaged by an adjusting screw 31 mounted in a bearing in the slide 14 and held from axial movement by a flange 32 and a graduated collar 33, secured on the adjusting screw 31 by a cross pin 34. The forward position to which the slide 14 is advanced by the cam 20 may be varied by turning the adjusting screw 31, and the amount of adjustment will be indicated by the graduated collar 33.

. Suitable means is provided for causing the roll 18 to yieldingly engage the cam 20. In the drawings we have indicated a flexible wire cable 35 running over a guide pulley 36 and having one end secured to the slide 14, while a weight 37 is hung on the opposite en The slide 14 is thus advanced positively by the cam 20 to move the steady rest to operative position and is withdrawn yieldingly by the Weight 37. It sometimes occurs,

however, that the slide will stick or not return promptly after being moved to operative position. As a safety device, we provide a hook member 40 pivoted at 41 on a lug 41 projecting upward from the slide 14. A stop screw 43 determines the vertical position of the hook member 40.

A projection or dog is secured to the side of the cam 20 and engages the hook member 40 as the roll 18 leaves the high part of the cam 20, unless the slide is promptly drawn backward. Such engagement keeps the roll18 in close contact with the 021111 2-0. Continued rotation of the cam' causes the dog 45 to clear the hook member 40 when the slide 14 is sufliciently retracted.

A. steady rest bracket is mounted for adjustment axially of the lathe on the slide 14c and may be secured in adjusted position by bolts 51 positioned in T-slots 52 in the slide 14:. We have shown our improved steady rest as provided with an upper roll 54 and a rear roll 55. These rolls are identically mounted, each roll being rotatable on a stud 56 secured in the forked lower end of a'plunger- 57 slidable ina recess 58- in the bracket 50 and keyed or otherwise held from rotation therein.

A differential adjusting screw 60 has a threaded portion 61 threaded in the upper end of the bracket- 50 and a second threaded portion 62 threaded in the plunger 57. The threaded pert-ion 62 is preferably of coarser pitch than the portion 61, so that the roll 54 or may be advanced toward the work or retracted therefrom with a differential motion when the screw is revolved by its hand wheel or knob 65. By way of illustration, the threaded portion 61 is shown as having an 8-pitch thread, while the portion 62 has a 7-pitch thread. To produce more rapid adjustment of the plunger 57, a greater diiference in thread pitch may be selected, or right and left hand threads may be used.

Having described the details of construction of our improved steady rest, the use and advantages thereof will be easily apparcut. The base 12 is adjusted lengthwise of the machine to approximately the desired position, such adjustment moving the cam 20 and gears 22 and 23 along with the base, but maintaining driving connection with the shaft 24. The bracket 50 may be thereafter additionally adjusted axially of the lathe on the base 14 if so desired, and the roll 18 may be adjusted forward or rearward in the slide 14 so that the cam 20 will move the steady rest rolls to the-desired positions. 1

The rolls 54: and 55 are then advanced by their adjusting screws 60'to accurately engage the trued up portion of the Work when the slide is in its forward position.

The cam" 20 is preferably provided with dwell portions 2.0 and 20*, connected by actuating portions 20. The drive shaft 2 1 preferably makes two complete revolutions during a full cycle of operations of the automatic lathe, and the cam shaft 21 makes a single revolution durin the same period. During the first part of theoperat-ion of the lathe, the roll 18 engages the dwell portion 20 and the steady rest remains retracted, while a ring or portion of the shaft or other piece of reduces the personal attention required from;

the operator and leaves him free to operate additional machines orto perform such other duties as may be desired.

Having described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we claim is 1- i 1. In a machine tool, a steady rest, a carriage therefor, and automatic, machine operated means mounted on said carriage and movable therewith to advance said stead-y rest relative to said carriage, to operative position during the continued operation of the machine. I

2. In a machine tool, a steady rest, a carriage therefor, and automatic, machine operated means mounted on said carriage and movable therewith to advance steady rest relative to said carriage to operative position at a predetermined point in the operation of the machine. I

3. In a machine tool, a steady rest, a carriage therefor, and automatic means: to advance said steady rest relative to said carriage, to operative position at a predetermined point in the operation of the machine, and to withdraw said steady rest after a predetermined period of operation thereof.

4. In a machine tool, a steady rest, a carriage therefor, cam means mounted on said carriage and movable therewith to positively advance said rest relative to said carriage, to operative position, and means to yieldingly withdraw said rest from the Work.

5'. In a machine tool, a steady rest, a carriage therefor, cam means to positively advance said rest relative to said carriage, to operative position, means to yieldingly with draw said rest from the work, and additional means to positively withdraw said steady rest, upon delayed action of said first withdrawal means.

6. In a machine tool, a steady rest, a slide supporting said rest, a basefor said slide fixed in position in said machine, a cam rotatable adjacent said slide, and a roll on said slide engaged by said cam to move said slide and steady rest positively relatively to said base, to operative position.

7. In a machine tool of the lathe type, a steady rest, and automatic, machine operated means mounted on said rest and movable relative to the machine to slide said steady rest transversely of said tool, thereby to advance said steady rest to operative position during the continued operation of the machine.

8. In a machine tool of the lathe t pe, a steady rest, and automatic means to sli e said steady rest transversely of said tool to advance said steady rest to operative position during the continued operation of the machine, and to slidably withdraw said steady rest after a predetermined period of operation.

9. In a machine tool of the lathe type, a carriage slidable axially of said tool, a steady rest slidably mounted on said carriage for movement transversely of said tool, and automatic means on said tool to slide said steady rest to operative position during the continued operation of the machine.

10. In a machine tool of the lathe type, a carriage slidably axially of said tool, a steady rest slidably mounted on said carriage for movement transversely of said tool, and automatic means on said tool to slide said steady rest to operative position during the continued operation of the machine, and to withdraw said steady rest after a predetermined period of operation thereof,

11. In a machine tool of the lathe type, a carriage slidable axially of said tool, a steady rest slidably mounted on said carriage for movement transversely of said tool, and automatic means on said tool to slide said steady rest to operative position during the continued operation of the machine, said means comprising a cam rotatable adjacent said rest and a roll on said rest engaged by said cam.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

EDWIN B. SMITH. RICHARD A. ASHTON. 

